


)2. 



#LIBMRY OF CONGRESS. I 



^ LI^ORCE COLLECTION.] ^ 

# 

i UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, f 



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OF THE ^^*'*'^^-"^-^. 

6R0T0N HEIGHTS, 

WITH THE INSCRIPTION AND NAMES. A 



This Monument was erected under the patronage 
of the State of Connecticut, A. D. 1830, and in the 
55th year of the Independence of the U. S. A., in 
memory of the patriots who fell in the massacre at 
Fort Griswold, near this spot, on the 6th of Sep- 
tember, A. D. 1781, when the British under the 
command of the traitor Benedict Arnold, burnt the 
towns of New-London and Groton, and spread des- 
olation and woe throuo^hout this region. 



■&' 



Zebulon and Napthali were a people that jeop- 
arded their lives unto death in the high places of the 
field. — Judges 5th chap. 18 ver. 

List of Men who fell at I'^ort Griswold, 
Septe3iber 6th, 1781. 

WILLIAM LED YARD, Lieut. Col. Commanding. 

ELIJAH AVERY, NATHAN ADAMS, 

EBENEZER AVERY, SIMEON ALLYN, 

SOLOMON AVERY, SAMUEL ALLYN, 

JASPER AVERY, BELTON ALLYN, 

ELISHA AVERY, THOMAS AVERY, 



DANIEL AVERF, 
DAVID AVERY, 
CHRISTOPHER AVERY, 
JOHN P. BABCOCK, 
JOHN BILLINGS, 
ANDREW BILLINGS, 
SAMUEL BILLINGS, 
EZEKIEL BAILEY^ 
ADRNEW BAKER, 
WILLIAM BOLTON, 
JOHN BROWN, 
HUBBARD BURROWS, 
JONATHAN BUTJiER, 
FREDERIC CHESTER, 
ELDRIDGE CHESTER, 
DANIEL CHESTER, 
RICHARD CHAPMAN, 
PHILIP COVIL, 
ELLIS COIT, 
JAMES COMSTOCK, ' 
WILLIAM COMSTOCK, 
JOHN CLARK, 
DANIEL DAVIS, 
SAMUEL HILL, 
HENRY HALSEY, 
JOHN HOLT, 
RUFUS HURBUT, 

Capt. ADAM SHAPLEY, of Fort Trumbull. 



MOSES JONES/ 
ELIDAY JONES, 
BENONI KENSON, 
BARNEY KENNY, 
THOMAS LAMB, 
YOUNGS LEDYARD, 
DANIEL LESTER, 
JOHN LESTER, 
JONAS LESTER, 
WAIT LESTER, 
JOSEPH LEWIS, 
NATHAN MOORE, 
JOSEPH MOXLEY, 
SIMEON MORGAN, 
EDWARD MILLS, 
THOMAS MINER, 
LUKE PERKINS, 
LUKE PERKINS Jr. 
ELNATHAN PERKINS, 
ELISHA PERKINS, 
ASA PERKINS, 
SIMEON PERKINS, 
DAVID PALMER. 
PETER RICHARDS, 
AMOS STANTON, 
ENOCH STANTON, 



DAVID SEABURY, 
JOHN STEDMAN, 
NATHAN SHOLES, 
THOMAS STARR, 
NICHOLAS STARK, 
DANIEL STANTON, 
HENRY WILLIAMS, 
THOMAS WILLIAMS, 
JOHN WILLIAMS, 
HENRY WOODBRIDGE, 



CHR. WOODBRIDGE, 
JOHN WHITTLESEY, 
STEPHEN WHITTLESEY. 
SYLVES. WALWORTH, 
PATRICK WARD, 
JOSEPH WEDGER, 
BENADAM ALLYN. 



SAMBO LATHAM, 
JORDAN FREEMAN, 



This Monument is 26 feet square at the base, and 12 at the 
lop, and has 168 steps, being 127 feet high. 



tK**- 



^\ 



The folloicing Narrative of the battle at Fort Griswold, on 
Grotov Heights, on the 6th September, 1781, urns conmunicated 
to the Missouri Republican in 1826, by Mr. Stephen Hempstead, 
formerly of New-London, who was in the Fort at the time, and 
afterwards removed to that State. 

The author of the following narrative of events which took 
place at the battle at Fort Griswold, on Groton Heights, enter- 
ed the service of his country in 1775, and arrived in Boston on 
the day of the battle of Bunker Hill. He was at Dorchester 
Point — was on Long Island at the time of the retreat of the 
American army — and was also a volunteer in the first ships that 
were sent- to destroy the Asia, 84 gun ship, and a frigate lying 
above Fort Washington. In this attempt they were unsuccess- 
ful, although grappled to the enemy's vessel twenty minutes. 
For the bravery displayed by them, they received the particular 
thanks of the commanding officer, in person, and in general 
orders, and forty dollars were ordered to be paid to each per- 
son engaged. He was afterwards wounded by a grape~shot 
while defending the lines at Haerlem Heights, which broke 
two of his ribs. He continued in the service, and was ugain 
wounded on the 6th of September, 1781. Mr. Hempstead 
removed to this State in 1811, and is now 72 years of age. 
He was present at the reception of Gen. La Fayette in this 
city. Mr. H. is one of the few surviving patriots of the Rev- 
olution, who have been permitted to view the unexampled ra- 
pidity with which our country has increased in wealth, power, 
and population ; the blessings which their exertions contrib- 
uted to bestow upon us, and the happiness by which all classes 
are surrounded. 

Mr. Charles : — I have thought, since last fall, that I would 
send you an account of the battle of Fort Griswold, on Groton 
Heights, on the 6th of September, 1781. The celebration of 
that event in September last, caused several notices of it to 
appear in different newspapers, none of which, I think, are 
sufficiently particular or wholly correct. As I was a participa- 
tor in that catastrophe, and had an opportunity of knowing most 
of the circumstances, and reasons for remeraberipg them, be- 
sides some notes taken subsequently, I am enabled I think, to 
give a clearer account of it (particularly in detail) than any I 
have seen ; and if you believe the following worthy of public- 
ation, you are at liberty to do so. 

STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD. 



On ihe morning of the 0th of September, 1731, twenty-four 
sail of the enemy's shipping appeared to the westward of 
New-London harbor. The enemy landed in two divisions, of 
about 800 men each, commanded by that infamous traitor to 
his country, Benedict Arnold, who headed the division that 
landed on the New-London side, near Brown's farms ; the 
other division, commanded by Col. Eyre, landed on Groton 
Point nearly opposite. I was first serpenn* of Capt. Adam 
Shapley's company of State troops, and was stationed vvilh him 
at the time, with about 23 men, at Fort Trumbull o[\ the New- 
London side. This was a mere breastwork or water battery, 
open from behind, and the enemy coming on us from that quar- 
ter, we spiked our cannon, and commenced a retreat across the 
river to Fort Griswold in three boats. The enemy were so 
near that they overshot us with their muskets, and succeeded 
in capturing one boat with six men commanded by Josiah Smith 
a private. They afterwards proceeded to New-London and 
burnt the town. We were received by the garrison with enthu- 
siasm, being considered experienced artillerists, whom they 
much needed, and we were immediately assigned to our stations. 
The Fort was an oblong square, with bastions at opposite an- 
gles, its longest side fronting the river in a N. W. and S. E. 
direction. Its walls were of stone, and were 10 or 12 feet 
high on the lower side and surrounded by a ditch. On the wall 
were pickets projecting over 12 feet ; above this was a parapet 
with embrasures, and within a platform for the cannon, and a 
step to mount upon to shoot over the parapet with small arms. 
In the S. W. bastion was a flag-staff, and in the side near the 
opposite angle, was the gate, in front of which was a triangular 
breastwork to protect the gate ; and to the right of this was a 
redoubt, with a three pounder in it, which was about 120 yards 
from the gate. Between the Fort and the river was another 
battery, with a covered way, but which could not be used in 
this attack, as the enemy appeared in a different quarter. The 
garrison with the volunteers, consisted of about 160 men. Soon 
after our arrival, the enemy appeared in force in some woods 
about half a mile S. E. of the Fort, from whence they sent a 
flag of truce, which was met by Capt. Shapley, demanding an 
unconditional surrender, threatening at the same lime to storm 
the Fort instantly, if the terms were not accepted. A council 
of war was held, and it was the unanimous voice, that the gar- 
rison were unable to defend themselves against so superior a 
force. But a militia Colonel who was then in the fort, and had 
a body of men in the immediate vicinity, said he would rein- 
force them with 2 or 300 men in fifteen minutes, if they would 



hold out ; Col. Ledyard agreed to send back a defiance, upon 
the most solemn assurance of immediate succour. For this 

purpose, Col. started, his men being (hen in sight ; but he 

was no more seen, nor did he even attempt a divirsion in our 
favor. When the answer to their demand had been returned 
by Capt. Shapley, the enemy were soon in motion, and march- 
ed with great rapidity, in a solid column, to within a short dis- 
tance of the fort, where dividing the column, they rushed furi- 
ously and simultaneously to the assault of the S. W. bastion 
and the opposite sides. They were however repulsed with 
great slaughter, their commander mortally wounded, and Major 
Montgomery, next in rank, kille'd, having been thrust through 
the body, whilst in the act of scaling the walls at the S. W. bas- 
tion, by Capt. Shapley. The command then devolved on Col. 
Beckvvith a refugee from New- Jersey, who commanded a corps 
of that description. The enemy rallied and returned to the at- 
tack wiih great vigor, but were received and repulsed with 
equal firmness. Durini; the attack a shot cut the halyards of 
the flag, and it fell to the ground, but was instantly remounted 
on a pike-pole. This accident proved fatal to us, as the enemy, 
supposing that it had been struck by its defenders, rallied again, 
and rushing with redoubled impetuosity, carried the S. W. bas- 
tion by storm. Until this moment, our loss was trifling in 
number, being 6 or 7 killed, and 18 or 20 wounded. Never 
was a post more bravely defended, nor a garrison more barbar- 
ously butchered. We fought with all kinds of weapons, and at 
all places, with a courage that deserved a better fate. Many of 
the enemy were killed under the walls by simply throwing shot 
over on them, and never would we have relinquished our arms, 
had we had the least idea that such a catastrophe would have 
followed. 

To describe this scene I must be permitted to go back a little 
in my narative- I commanded an 18 pounder on the south side 
of the gate, and while in the act of sighting my gun, a ball pass- 
ed though the embras\ire, struck me a little above the tight ear, 
grazing the skull, and cutting off the veins which bled profusely. 
A handkerchief was tied around it and I continued at my duty. 
Discovering some little time after, that a British soldier had 
broken a picket at the bastion on my left, and w.is forcing him- 
self through the hole, whilst the men stationed there were gaz- 
ing at the battle which raged opposite to them, and observino- 
no officer in that direction, I jumped from the platform and ran 
to them, crying my brave fellows the enemy are breaking in 
behind you, and raised my pike to despatch the intruder, when a 
ball struck my left arm at the elbow, and my pike fell to the 



6 

ground. Nevertheless I grasped it with my right hand, and 
with the men who turned and fought manfully, cleared the 
breach. 'The enemy, however, soon after forced the S, W. 
bastion, where Capt. Sbapley, Capt. Peter Richards, Lieut. 
Richard Chapman, and several other men of distinction, and 
volunteers, had fought with unconquerable courage, and were all 
either killed or mortally wounded, and which had sustained the 
brunt of every attack. Col. Ledyard, seeing the enemy within 
the fort, gave orders to cease firing, and to throw down our 
arms as the fort had surrendered. We did so, but they contin- 
ued firing upon us, crossed the fort and opened the gate, when 
they marched in, firing in platoons upon those who were re- 
treating to the magazine and barrack rooms for safety. At this 
moment the renegado Colonel commanding, cried out, who 
commands this garrison ? Col. Ledyard, who was standing 
near me, answered, " I did sir, but you do now," at the same 
time stepping forward, handing him his sword with the point 
towards himself. At this instant I perceived a soldier in the 
act of bayoneting me from behind. I turned suddenly round 
and grasped his bayonet, endeavoring to unship it, and knock 
ofi'the thrust — but in vain. Having but one hand, he succeed- 
ed in forcing it into my right hip, above the joint, and just below 
the abdomen, and crushed me to the ground. The first person 
I saw afterwards, was my brave commander, a corpse by my 
side, -having been run through the body with his own sword, by 
the savage renegado. Never was a scene of more brutal wan- 
ton carnage witnessed, than now took place. The enemy were 
still firing upon us by platoons, and in the barrack rooms, which 
were continued for some minutes, when they discovered they 
were in danger of being blown up, by communicating fire to 
the powder scattered at the mouth of the magazine, while deliv- 
ering out cartridges, nor did it then cease in the rooms for some 
minutes longer. All this time the bayonet was " freely used," 
even on those who were helplessly wounded, and in the agonies 
of death. I recollect Capt. William Seymour, a volunteei, from 
Hartford, had thirteen bayonet wounds, although his knee had 
previously been shattered by a ball, so much so, that it was 
obliged to be amputated the next day. But I need not mention 
particular cases. I have already said that we had 6 killed and 
]8 wounded, previous to their storming our lines ; 85 were 
killed in all, 35 mortally and dangerously wounded, and 40 tak- 
en prisoners to New- York, most of them slightly hurt. 

After the massacre they plundered us of every thing we had, 
and left us literally naked. When (hey commenced gathering 
us up, together with their own wounded, they put their's under 



4 



the shade of the platform, and exposed us to the sun, in front of 
the barracks, where we r«mained over an hour. Those that 
could stand were then paraded, and ordered to the landing, while 
those that could not (of which number 1 was one) were put into 
one of our iimmunition wagons, and taken to the brow of the 
hill (which was very steep, and at least 100 rods in descent) 
from whence it was permitted to run down by itself, but was 
arrested in its course, near the river, by an apple tree. The 
pain and anguish we all endured in this rapid descent, as the 
wagon jumped and jostled over rocks and holes, is inconceiva- 
ble ; and the jar in its arrest was like bursting the cords of life 
assunder, and caused us to shriek with almost supernatural 
force. Our cries were distinctly heard and noticed on the op- 
posite side of the river, (which is nearly a mile wide) amidst all 
the confusion which raged in burning and sacking the town. 
We remained in the wagon more than an hour, before our hu- 
mane conquerors hunted us up, when we were wgain paraded 
and laid on the beach, preparatory to embarkation. But by the 
interposition of Ebenezer Ledyard (brother to Col. L.) who 
humanely represented our deplorable situation, and the impos- 
sibility of our being able to reach New-York, 35 of us were 
paroled in the usual form. Being near the house of Ebenezer 
Avery, who was also one of our number, we were taken into it. 
^Here we had not long remained, before a marauding party set 
fire to every room, evidently intending to burn us up with the 
house. The party soon left it, when it was with difficulty ex- 
tinguished, and we were thus saved from the flames. Ebenezer 
Ledyard again interfered and obtained a sentinel to remain and 
guard us until the last of the enemy embarked, about 1 1 o'clock 
at night. None of our own people came to us till near daylight 
the next morning, not knowing previous to that time, that ti^e 
enemy had departed. 

Such a night of distress and anguish was scarcely ever pass- 
ed by mortal. Thirty-five of us were lying on the bare floor — 
stiff", mangled, and wounded in every manner, exhausted with 
pain, fatigue and loss of blood, without clothes or any thing 
to cover us, trembling with cold and spasnjs of extreme anguish, 
without fire or light, parched with excruciating thirst, not a 
wound dressed, nor a soul to administer to one of our wants, 
nor an assisting hand to turn us during these long tedious hours 
of the night ; nothing but groans and unavailing sighs were 
heard, and two of our number did not live to see the light of the 
morning, which brought with it some ministering angels to our 
relief. The first was in person of Miss Fanny Ledyard, of 
Southold, L. I. (then on a visit to her uncle, our murdered 



commander) who held to* my lips a cup of warm chocolate, 
and soon after returned with wine and other refreshments, 
which revived us a little. For the?e ivindnesses, she has never 
ceased to receive my most grateful thanks, and fervent prayers 
for her felicity. 

The cruelty of our enemy cannot be conceived, and our ren- 
egado countrymen surpassed in this respect, if possible, our 
British foes. We were at least an hour after the battle, within 
a few steps of a pump in the garrison, well supplied with water, 
and, although we were suffering with thirst, they would not 
pern»it us to take one drop^of it, nor give us any themselves. 
Some of our number, who were not disabled from going to the 
pump, were repulsed with the bayonet, and not one drop did I 
taste after the action commenced, although begging for it after 
I was wounded, of all who came near me, until relieved by Miss 
Ledyard. We were a horrible sight at this time. Our own 
friends did iiot know us — evtm my own wife came into the 
room in search of me, and did not recognise me, and as 1 did 
not soe her, she left (he room to seek for me among the slain, 
who had been collected under a large elm tree near the house. 
It was with the utmost' difficulty that many of them could bo 
identified, and we were frequently called upon to assist their 
friends in distinguishing them, by remembering particular 
wounds, &c. Being myself taken out by two men for this pur- 
pose, I met my wife and brother, who, after my wounds were 
dressed by Dr. Downer from Preston, took me — not to my own 
home, for that was in ashes, as also every particle of my prop- 
erty, furniture and clothing — but to my brother's, where I lay 
eleven months as helpless as a child, 'and to this day feel the 
efi'ects of it severely. 

Such was the battle of Groton Heights ; and such, as far as 
my imperfect manner and language can describe, a part of the 
sufferings which we endured. Never, for a moment, have I re- 
• gretted the share I had in it ; I would for an equal degree of 
honor, and the prosperity which has resulted to my country 
from the Revolution, be willing, if possible, to suffer it agaift. 
I regret, very much, my not being able to be with my com- 
patriots and co-veterans at the late celebration. 

STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD. 



Capt. P. Richards, Lieut. Chapman, and several others were 
kdled in the bastion ; Capt. Shapley, and others wounded. He 
died of his wounds in January following. 



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